Pantene produces sustainable hair care packaging

US-based personal care company Procter & Gamble’s hair care brand Pantene has started producing its first shampoo and conditioner bottles from plant-based plastic. Derived from sugarcane, as opposed to petroleum which is traditionally associated with plastic bottles, the plant-based plastic is said to consume 70 percent less fossil fuels and releases over 170 percent less greenhouse gases per tonne than petroleum-based plastic.

“The use of sugarcane-based plastic in our Nature Fusion packaging allows us to offer the same performance consumers expect from Pantene but in a more sustainable way,” says Hanneke Faber, VP and brand franchise leader for Global Pantene. “We are thrilled to be the first haircare brand to use this technology on its packaging but we also recognize sustainability is a journey and we are fully committed to it.”

The plastic will be used to package Pantene’s Pro-V Nature Fusion range and will start rolling out in Western Europe this summer. The move is part of a wider goal by P&G to replace 25 percent of its petroleum-based materials with sustainably sourced renewable materials by 2020.